Comparing the Two Accounts The Birth Jesus in the Gospels
Jesus was born in a very small country, it was not an important area
of land people only passed through it and passed by it. From north to
south of the country Palestine was less than 270km long. The Jordan
valley ran through the middle of the country, towards the north of the
country laid steep mountains the peak of mount Hermon was 3000 meters
above sea level.
Palestine was situated on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea,
in southwestern Asia. Palestine is now divided between Israel and the
Israeli-occupied territories, parts of which are self-administered by
Palestinians. At the time of Jesus' birth it was a small. It lay
between two of the great cultural centers of Egypt and Mesopotamia.
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During the time of Jesus the land was ruled by Romans, the Romans
where known for there brutal and vicious ways they would make the
Jewish people feel cheap and shameful as the Roman's thought of them
self's as superior.
The English word "gospel" is copied from the Old English godspel
meaning 'good tidings', which is a rendering of the Greek evangel ion
'good news'. During the time of Jesus' there where 4 main gospels but
the two gospels who wrote about what happened to Jesus where Matthew
and Luke. Below shows what both Matthew and Luke said when they where
with Jesus.
Matthew
The ancestors of Jesus traced to Abraham.
Joseph is engaged to Mary, she is pregnant and he plans a divorce.
The angel announces to Joseph the birth of a son by the Holy Spirit.
Wise men from the east ask Herod about the birth of a 'King of the
Jews'.
Jesus is born and visited by the wise men who were led by a star.
Joseph is warned to take the child to safety in Egypt.
Herod orders the massacre of all the children.
Herod dies and Joseph and his family return from Egypt.
LUKE
Dia de los reyes magos is on Jan. 5 - Feb. 2 and the day is about the 3 wisemen, But January the 6th is the special day in Mexico….. this day represents the height of the Christmas season. This celebration is where it is stated that the kings, Melchor, Gaspar, and Balthasar, traveled by night all the way from the farthest confines of the Earth to bring gifts to Jesus, whom they recognized as the Son of God. As well as regal, the Three Kings are depicted as wise men, whose very wisdom is proved by their acknowledgement of Christ's divine status. Arrived from three different directions, the kings followed the light provided by the star of Bethlehem, which reportedly lingered over the manger where the Virgin Mary gave birth for many days. In
-------. "St. John and Frazer in Light in August: Biblical Form and Mythic Function."Bulletin of Research in the Humanities 83 (1980): 9-26.
The book, "The Shadow of the Galilean," by Gerd Theissen is based on the story of Jesus through a historical and fictional perspective. Gerd assists the readers to imagine what life was like during the time of Jesus with historical facts and with his mythical creativity. The stories that are told throughout the narrative are events from the Bible and are experiences with people who were actually recorded in the Gospels, but with a twist of fictional characters and expeditions. The main character in Theissen’s narrative is a merchant named Andreas, who had never met Jesus personally, but later couldn’t help the fact that he was always running into Jesus' "shadow" throughout his travels through Galilee. During his journeys, he encounters many people who tell him stories of Jesus and how Jesus has influenced them specifically and how they came to support and follow Him whole heartedly. Through this, he learns of the many capabilities of Jesus and how powerful He is.
Gerhard Lohfink, in his book, “Jesus of Nazareth” believes that Jesus’ person and ministry are intertwined, or actually one and of the same. After Lohfink clarifies the difference between the "reign of God" as distinct from the “Kingdom of God,” he asserts that in Jesus, there is this active, ongoing reign which is not only revealed, but is manifested in all He says and does. Lohfink states, that Jesus is “not just preaching about the reign of God, but He is announcing it,” going on to indicating that Jesus is manifesting this reign in His own self disclosure and the actions of His ministry. Jesus ways of teaching and interactions with others, is shown as compassionate, gentle, direct and personal, as well as definitive and bold. As we also find in Ch. 3, “All that is happening before everyone’s eyes. The reign of God is breaking forth in the midst of the world and not only within people.” (51) And for Lohfink, this is taking place in the actual preaching, actions and life of Jesus Christ. Simply, we are personally and collectively and actively a part of establishing this “reign” right here, right now. A “reign” of mercy, compassion, forgiveness, self-giving, sacrificial love, as well as of justice and peace.
Halley’s Comet has been sighted and recorded for thousands of years by humans. A comet recorded in ancient Greece around 468 B.C. is thought to be Halley. However, the first ever collection of records about Halley’s Comet is from China in 256 B.C. Two Babylonian clay tablets also reported an appearance of Halley’s Comet from 164 B.C. Halley’s passing of 12 B.C. was noted in the Book of Han by Chinese astronomers of the Han Dynasty, who traced its path from August through October. It passed by within 0.16 Astronomical Units (AU) of Earth. This appearance of Halley in particular led some astronomers and theologians to believe it explained the biblical story of the “Star of Bethlehem;” its arrival was mysteriously close to the birth of Jesus.
Under those events, King Herod feels threatened and lies to them to find the future king, so he would be able to worship him as well. While the King’s intentions are impure (he wishes to kill Jesus), the wise men with the help of the divine star find Jesus, as witnessed in this fragment.
Fredrick, Larson. the Star of Bethlehem . Zondervan Publishing House, n.d. Web. 3 Feb 2014. .
Two biblical allusions immediately propel the reader into the complexities of salvation; as the narrator contemplates his daily routine, he remembers two Bible stories as he says, “...but also about the flood and locusts and frogs and other plagues that had happened before and could
Compare and contrast the birth narratives in the Gospel of Matthew and that of the Gospel of Luke.
God’s written law is something that is and should be continuously turned, to not only when Christians find themselves in need, but also throughout in one’s daily life. The four gospels tell to story of Jesus’ life and his teachings he gave while on the earth making it possible for there to be a true example of Christ-like faith. The proposition that there are differences in the story of Jesus and in his teachings seems to question the basis upon which the Christian faith is found upon. Rather than proclaiming the gospels as falsehoods because on the differences they possess, by analyzing the differences in the context of the particular gospel it can be understood that the differences are not made by mistake, rather as a literary device. While the four gospels have differences and similarities, they cannot be regarded as an argument against the faith because their differences are what point to the many aspects of Christ.
The word 'gospel' means good news. There are four gospel accounts in the New Testament:
In the gospels of Mark and John, both showed a vivid portrait of Jesus in their writing. Mark’s gospel describes much more of Jesus' life, miracles, and parables as suffering servant. However, John’s gospel was written to convince people to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God. Nonetheless, both John and Mark present many of the crucial events of Jesus' life, including his trial, crucifixion, and resurrection.
Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord – January 8, 2017 The story of the magi, who finally arrive in Bethlehem, completes the gathering of characters that assemble for the birth of Jesus. With their unique and precious gifts – their rich attire – and their colorful retinues, which in most instances include a camel or two, and in some nativity scenes, even an elephant – we are just about ready to bring the curtain down on another Christmas season. To be certain, the image of these seekers journeying to Bethlehem carries with it a heartwarming quality that we both cherish and impart to our children and grandchildren. The gospel writer Matthew, however, chronicles the magi’s arrival to help set the stage less for a sensational ending to the story of Jesus’ birth and much more in order to provide us with a vision into the mission and message of Jesus – the Messiah and Savior.
While both the Gospel of Matthew and John tell of the global reordering plan for the world, each does so in a unique way. The Gospel of Matthew is able to show the reordering of the world by focusing on the aspect of Jesus as a teacher and the results of this; while the Gospel of John shows the reordering occurring as God works through Jesus showing signs to the people of who he is, focusing on the belief this brings to people. “But all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God” (John 1:12). Through this verse, we see the reordering in effect, as all who receive him and believe in him have the power to become children of God.
The Virgin birth of Christ is an actual Historical fact. God came (in the sinless form of Jesus) into the earth "HE" created. No other event in the past has had so much impact out side of Calvary where Christ paid the price for our transgressions. Seven hundred years earlier, this was prophesied by the prophet Isaiah and it came about just as predicated in (Matthew 1:22, 23)